Thursday, September 29, 2011

This is a very simple project made with book pages…I used a dictionary because I had an old one from Salvation Army store for 50 cents. I also found the paper mache pumpkin there and it set me back a mere $1. Mod podge and a brush is all you need to make this cute pumpkin.

I used the P pages…you know, P for pumpkins!

It’s really very easy, you just wet the paper with Mod Podge, wet the pumpkin and then put the paper on the pumpkin and smooth it out with the brush. Don’t push too hard or you will be recovering that area!

Make sure all the surface of the pumpkin is covered and coat with one or two coats of Mod Podge to seal the pumpkin.

I covered the face on mine and just let the paper sort of settle in those areas. I like how the mouth is minimally defined.

I had cut out the words around pumpkin so I could paste it on when I was done with all the layers. So here it is, right by pump, pumpernickel, and pumpkin seed.

So this is a great idea for kids or grown ups as well! Mine went into my bushel of pumpkins for the MDA family fundraiser!

This past weekend my church had their big annual fundraiser for the debt free building fund. I always make several baskets to donate for the silent auction. This next weekend is my family’s MDA fundraiser in southern Illinois. I always donate a lot of things for that fundraiser too! Here’s a few things that I have been working on…

The Mizzou basket…set of four potholders, two badge reel clips, two decorated kitchen towels, 10 bean bags, two glasses case, a black and gold clutch purse…

The beach basket…all things blue and seashell-y!

I am still working on more baskets…a pumpkin basket, a patriotic basket, a fall fun basket, some felted wool acorns in a mason jar, wool mittens, a bride dress up basket, lots more!

I remember exactly where I was, what I did, how I just wanted my son with me (he was in school) so I could protect him some how, some way.

I remember how in disbelief I watched the plane hit the second tower, holding my breath, thinking how it couldn’t really be happening. Not in my country, not in the United States of America.

I remember being glued to the TV, I wanted to see it all, hear every news report about this disaster. I remember my son asking me why it kept happening…he assumed every time the footage was on TV it was happening again. That was when I turned off the TV. I hadn’t considered this was how a 7 year old might translate the relentless footage of the airplane hitting the tower, the people running and screaming.

I remember how packed the church was the Sunday after…full of people wanting reassurance that life would be the same again, full of people wanting to be with family and friends. And there wasn’t a dry eye in that church when the choir sang America the Beautiful.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

I made some big wool pumpkins today, so I had lots of orange scrap wool just waiting for me to make these pumpkin pins!

I cut black felt with pinking shears for the eyes and used a satin stitch for the mouth. I added one to two layers of batting in the middle of the two layers to give them dimension and a sprig of green felt for the stem.